Senior police to get performance related pay

Senior police officers will receive bonuses worth up to £32,000 for tackling crime and improving diversity, it is reported today.

The performance-related payments, worth up to 15% of salaries, will be paid next year to officers who are rated the best in the country, according to The Times.

The scheme is based on performance and development reviews that have been introduced to monitor the success of senior officers. Each officer agrees a set of 10 targets for the year, based on local or national policing plans.

They must include crime reduction, which would centre on cutting some area of “volume crime”, including car crime, burglaries, robberies, assaults and alcohol-related offences in city centres.

The Home Office has also insisted that the managers must show success in diversity policies. This includes making sure their force builds up successful relationships with ethnic and sexual minorities and meets targets for increasing the number of recruits from black and Asian groups.

Under the scheme Ian Blair, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and the highest paid officer in the country, could receive up to £33,200 on top of his £221,000 salary.

Assistant commissioners and the chief constables of the largest urban forces could be in line for bonuses of £23,100 if they join the scheme.

Chief constables of smaller forces earning about £118,000 would get up to £14,800.